Vigorous and invigorating performances of this timeless G&S song, with some interesting adornments from elsewhere in this wonderful genre. Most enjoyable.
I think they are wonderful!!!! How they incorporate the humor and add different songs from different operas is refreshing and shows the depth of originality. The singing is good too.
I bought this DVD years ago, along with pirates and pinafore. I've watched them that many times I'm surprised I haven't worn them out. they are all brilliant.Derek Metzger is brilliant in this didn't recognise him at first with being in pirates as the major general, just shows how brilliant he is ☺
I noticed them all! "I have a song to sing, o" from YEOMAN, "When first my old, old love I knew" from TRIAL, "If you go in, you're sure to win" from IOLANTHE, and, my favorite, "Dance a cachucha" from GONDOLIERS!!
This is the most brilliant of all of the G&S productions imho loved the comedy in this, Mikado everyone bows still brilliant in 2020, I have this on VHS not a good recording an DVD beautiful, when the production came to New Zealand we had NZ performers as in HMS Pinafore all very good i saw these shows here magic and so funny. I have always loved G& S from a teen all the very serious operettas although great these are clever for our day and sit well when they came out for the age we live in
This is awesome! Even if it strayed from the original, the addition of music from other GnS shows makes it MORE entertaining for GnS nerds, I think, not less so.
As a traditionist were Gilber and Sullivan are concerned I like to see them done traditionally BUT this is Fantastic , Wonderful , Great, As a boy soprano I played all the leading female roles. loved the olio of other G.S operas that were included.
Of the clips from this production - I must say I liked this one the best. For one thing there were no cuts, and no major text changes. Nanki-Poo is great and sings beautifully and the weird re-orchestration (which I generally hate) is not as odious here as it is in some of the other songs. I didn't really mind the addition of all the clips form other G&S at the end. It was fun to try to recognize them quickly!
These stage shows never seem to array the workers in full fundoshi gear. And I'm not sure how he carries that piano around from town to town. Isaac Asimov once said that G&S really only works if you play it dead straight. The characters can't think it's funny, or it kills the humor. Within limits, this hasn't strayed to far from that ideal. And he does have a wonderful voice.
@jollywigs You see, this is the problem, when G & S wrote this it was built for the humor of their particular audience. As theatre progresses the audience and naturally the humor changes, while all the original humor is there there are plenty of stereotypes and sight gags and new humour strewn amongst the songs. It makes people laugh while it remains mostly faithful to the original. G & S is not classical theatre, it is cheap entertainment of the late 1800's.
What I know about classical music could fit in a matchbox, sadly, so I wouldn't know he was ripping anyone off, I just know that, Phantom aside, it's been light and fluffy ;) Mitch Benn has a wonderful LW parody on youtube somewhere...
clownus, apparently you do not understand past tense, I did sing as a tenor for many years, I am now 81 and can assure you I was never operated on , I do , however remember those far of days as a boy soprano with a great deal of pleasure
@jollywigs Gilbert and Sullivan were not artists, they were comdeic writers and entertainers. It is adaptions like this that keep their works alive and if they were alive today they would do exactly this. So shame on you, you would rather GnS died than live?
@gavpowell1981 Well, considering he's not a lyricist, I don't think he can be compared to Gilbert. And Jesus Christ Superstar and Evita beg to differ, though they are the exceptions to the rule.
The way you phrased it was not "Oh in those days I played a boy soprano" It was a past tense, but a past tense that without knowing you makes it seem like you're speaking recently. So no need to be snarky with me.
@ijones39 I don't think LLoyd-Webber has anything like the skill to compose anything with the wit of WS Gilbert or music as charming as Arthur Sullivan's - he writes very lightweight stuff for the benefit of tourists.
